The pull and power of first love is indeed strong, and one couple reunited after 50 years apart knows that better than most! The story of Karen Lehmann and Dennis Vinar is a special tale, and they are one very special pair.
*This content originally appeared on GodUpdates; used with permission.
Dennis Vinar was a well-liked football player and Karen Lehmann was a quiet, studious band member when they met in 1958 while in high school. The two were fifteen years old and smitten. Though Karen's parents did not approve of the relationship, they continued to see one another and Karen became pregnant.
Dennis proposed to Karen, but the marriage was not to be.
Karen, at the urging of her parents, completed her pregnancy at a home for unwed mothers. After delivering a beautiful baby girl, she and Dennis put the baby up for adoption, Karen went to college, and Dennis joined the army.
Before giving up their daughter, though, Dennis held his baby in his arms and signed the birth certificate, delighted to have the opportunity to do both. Dennis wrote to Karen during those early years, but his letters never got to Karen. Eventually, the two lost contact and married other people.
Steve Harvey invited Dennis Vinar and Karen Lehmann to appear on his show and share their incredible story because their separation was not how their story ended. Approximately 50 years after they'd parted, the couple reunited.
Story Of Karen Lehmann And Dennis Vinar
A friend invited Dennis to open a LinkedIn account. Now divorced, Dennis did a quick search for Karen and found her immediately!
Dennis reached out to Karen and learned that she had been widowed. The couple reunited on a Monday evening and married three days later on Thursday! After 50 years apart, these two lovebirds needed only three days to decide to make their love official-finally!
Steve Harvey wrote about relationships in his book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, so he appreciated Dennis and Karen's touching love story. And, if this story didn’t already rival romances like The Notebook, there's more.
Once the couple reunited and got married, Dennis and Karen set out to find their little girl. With a little research, they found the daughter that they'd put up for adoption. And, daughter Jean Voxland looks just like her sweet, romantic daddy!
"Imagine being 55 years old and learning that your parents are together and that they're looking for you,” Jean recalled. “They walked through the door and my heart was pounding."
This trio is so grateful to have found each other once again. Maybe, it was luck or the universe, but it sure seems that God had his hand in this beautiful family reunion!
"Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair! You have dove's eyes behind your veil.
Your hair is like a flock of goats, Going down from Mount Gilead." Song of Solomon 4:1
Originally published Thursday, 02 June 2022.
